DANIEL Wells, Ty Vickery and Chris Mayne are the biggest names that should find new homes in this year's NAB AFL free agency period.

The free agency period opens at 9am AEDT on Friday, at which time teams can lodge official offers with the AFL.

Just 23 players remain from the original list of 52 free agents released in March, with Steele Sidebottom, Cale Hooker, Kieren Jack and Jack Watts among the stars who re-signed with their clubs.

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Wells, 31, is expected to depart North Melbourne after 14 seasons to join Collingwood on a three-year deal worth up to $600,000 a season, while the Magpies are also set to snare Fremantle forward Mayne on a four-year deal understood to be worth more than $500,000 a season.

Tiger spearhead Vickery, the No.8 pick in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, is expected to join Hawthorn, possibly as early as Friday.

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Adelaide defender Ricky Henderson is also likely to find a new home, but his move is unlikely to be confirmed until later in the free agency period.

Collingwood defender Nathan Brown could find his way to North Melbourne, but most likely through a trade rather than as a free agent given the Roos do not want to dilute any compensation pick they receive for Wells.

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Fremantle ruckman Zac Clarke is another 2016 free agent who has attracted rival interest, but appears more and more likely to re-sign with the Dockers.

Former Melbourne captain Jack Grimes, Dockers Matt de Boer and Clancee Pearce, veteran Roos Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie, and Western Bulldog ruckman Will Minson have already been told by their clubs that they won't be offered contracts for 2017.

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The free agency period closes on Sunday, October 16, at 5pm.